Conventionally, there are vehicles which include an electric slide door (described as a power slide door or PSD in a specification of the present invention) having an operable window as a vehicle door such as a side door of an automobile. With reference to FIG. 5, the power slide door allows a user to enter and exit the vehicle by sliding the door even in a condition where the window (e.g., side window) is opened. A request has been placed for ensuring safety by avoiding an entrapment between a frame of the door (e.g., slide door sash) and a vehicle body (e.g., rear quarter pillar) for conditions where a hand or a head of a child is put out of the opened window.
Conventionally, there are following techniques for ensuring the safety. According to JP2000240352A, an opened/closed state of the side window is detected by an ECU (i.e., Electric Control Unit) and the power slide door is stopped before a fully opened state in a condition where the side window is opened so that a space, more than or equal to a certain width, between the frame of the door and the vehicle body can be ensured. However, in this case, a device (e.g., a sensor, a switch) for detecting the opened/closed state of the side window is required.
In contrast, a technique is proposed for reducing a manufacturing cost by omitting a sensor, or the like, while ensuring safe operational use. For example, a control system is provided with a mechanical stopper, serving as a support shaft in a condition where the side window is opened, for performing an intermediate stop operation in conjunction with the side window of the slide door. More specifically, in a condition where the side window is opened, a mechanical stopper is automatically protruded from the power slide door and a movable range of the power slide door is limited by stopping a movement of the power slide door before reaching the fully opened state. On this occasion, a mechanical stopper interference range is preliminarily calculated by a moving amount of the power slide door. The calculated range is set in the ECU and the power slide door is stopped at a position in which the entrapment is detected when the entrapment occurs within the range.
When the sensor, or the like, is omitted, the manufacturing cost can be reduced. However, in a condition where a human or a foreign object is trapped within the predetermined range, the power slide door may be stopped and fixed at the position in which the entrapment occurs.
A need thus exists to provide a method for controlling a door and a door control system for a vehicle provided with a higher degree of safety while reducing a manufacturing cost.